A Changing Reality
by Chris7221
Summary: During the summer of 2012, Iran succeeds in developing nuclear weapons. As the Middle East pitches into chaos, the world responds. A ragtag band of soldiers are mounting a desperate defense. Seeking shelter, they end up finding alien ruins, and ending up further away from home than they could have imagined. A take on the "soldiers in Mass Effect" concept.
1. Prologue - Flames of War

There are a few self-insert variants where a soldier or soldiers ends up in the world of Mass Effect. It's an interesting premise, and one not explored very often- I've read exactly two stories like that. This is my own take on the idea. This does not even pretend to be a self-insert- all characters are entirely fictional.

This is a Gen4 story. Gen4 is a designation I gave to a group of stories I recently began writing. The idea is that I write the first chapter or two of each, post, and then see how I like it and how my readers respond. If the response is good, I continue. If not, I focus on something else. Please review if you like (or dislike) this story. Its future depends on it!

* * *

_Today's battlefield is not the same as the battlefield fifty, twenty, even ten years ago. Information is key, drones fly over the battlefield and today's soldier is tightly linked into command elements as well as air and naval support. Moreover, we are fighting increasingly asymmetrical warfare against insurgents rather than armies. It is conceivable that within the next ten years, new threats and new technology may change the battlefield yet again. Therefore, our soldiers must be trained and conditioned to fight in a changing reality of warfare._ -General T. Casey, shortly before American entry into the war in the Middle East

* * *

**Prologue: Flames of War  
**

_The underground testing of a nuclear device in Iran has sent shockwaves through the international community. The UN, along with several nations, has condemned the actions and economic embargoes have been announced..._

_As ships gather to form an international blockade fleet, President Khomeini has released a statement condemning the West and announcing his intentions to use nuclear weapons to "purge the Holy Lands of unbelievers"..._

_Iranian forces have moved into Iraq, joining with insurgents and attacking American forces from the northeast downwards. Although facts are slim at this time, it is clear that the Americans are slowly but surely being pushed back..._

_US forces are pulling out of Baghdad, reasoning that they can no longer hold the capital. The President has released a statement today, stating that the United States will not abandon their allies in the Middle East, although the United States has still not formally declared war on Iran..._

_Islamic fundamentalists have again taken control of Egypt, ousting the democratically elected but unstable government in a quick but violent coup. The new dictatorship has announced its support for Iran and denounced the west as "capitalist heathen"..._

_Syria has joined Iran and Egypt in the new Islamic alliance. Iranian forces continue to push south in Iraq. Iranian warships in the Persian Gulf have enforced their blockade by force, engaging and destroying a Saudi tanker bound for the United States..._

_Oil prices have shot through the roof and shortages appeared around the world. Cars are lined up behind pumps across the continental United States, bringing to mind unhappy memories of the oil crisis in the 1970s. Meanwhile, UN forces have engaged Iranian warships and limited airstrikes on Iranian soil have been carried out. There has been no word from Israel, though the isolated nation must be feeling the pressure..._

_Egyptian forces have moved to occupy the Gaza Strip, as joint Syrian/Iranian armies roll into northeast Israel. The Jewish nation has responded by declaring war. Israel's allies in the west have pledged their support, and the United States has finally declared war on Iran. The question of nuclear weapons remains tensely in the air as the conflict escalates..._

_US and EU forces are racing across the Mediterranean to reinforce Israel, with airlifts supplying desperately needed supplies to the nation. Surprisingly, Russia has also pledged support, and the _Admiral Kuznetsov_ has diverted from training operations in the Black Sea..._

_It is now two months into the conflict, and Arab forces continue to inch toward Jerusalem. The first international reinforcements have reached Israel, but it remains to be seen how much of an effect they will have..._

_With the help of US, Canadian and European forces, the tide has turned for Israel. Troops continue to hold the line in the north while beginning a slow but sure push has begun in the south. Tactical bombing continues to whither attacking Islamic forces..._

_It is day ninety-three of the conflict and Coalition forces has officially moved onto Egyptian territory. In a surprise move, an American contingent has landed in the north shore of Egypt, pushing toward Cairo with the goal of ousting the current government and ending Egyptian involvement in the conflict..._

_In Britain, Canada and the United States alike, men, women and children take a moment to remember those who lost their lives in conflicts around the world. But it is different today. Coalition forces have advanced to Cairo and Damascus, in both cases fighting for their lives. Around the world, people are praying for the soldiers still out there..._

**Outside Cairo, Egypt**

**November 11, 2012 - Day 104**

**American Convoy**

The convoy rolled quietly across the sandy desert. Sounds of battle could be heard, seemingly from all around them. Explosions flashed across the horizon, somewhat dulled by the rising sun. A weak glow came from the city of Cairo in the distance, from flames ignited by bombs and ruptured gas lines.

"Alright, listen up, ladies!" a tall African-American man said inside his Humvee. His insignia identified him as First Sergeant Jason Adams, USMC.

"Really, you pulling that on us, _mano_?" Corporal Julio Hernandez teased. He was quite a bit shorter than the Sergeant, though with a stockier build.

"Shut it, marine," the Sergeant snapped. The Hispanic corporal could be an earful, but he was a damn good soldier. Not that he would ever admit that out loud, of course. "We're headed toward a Coalition position on the outskirts of Cairo. They're under heavy fire and pinned down."

"I won't lie to you, there's fishy about this. They say our boys are defending something important, but they won't tell me what. That means it's something important, at least."

"Yeah, important to the REMFs," Hernandez muttered.

"Shut it, marine. If the higher-ups think it's important, then it's important."

Hernandez muttered something in Spanish under his breath. The Sergeant shot him a look, but didn't comment.

**Coalition Position**

"Air strike inbound! Danger close!" Rav Samal (Sergeant First Class) Zarah David crouched behind a severely smashed wall and covered her head. Seconds later, a line of explosions ripped through the slowly-advancing line of Egyptian armour, completely shredding it. Seconds after that, an Egyptian tank rolled over the ruined hulk of another.

"Damn it to hell!" A British-accented voice shouted from beside her. "Those wankers just won't bloody die! We have to pull back!"

"Our orders-"

"To hell with our orders! Everyone higher than Sergeant is dead along with three quarters of our men, the enemy keeps coming and nobody is coming to-"

Zarah grabbed the much larger man by his collar. "We will not abandon this position! We will hold the line here! What we discovered here is-"

She collapsed to the ground, clutching her side and letting out a stream of curses in Hebrew. Upon seeing the Brit's concerned expression, she said through gritted teeth, "Didn't penetrate. But damn, that hurts. We will stay here until we win, or we will stay here until we die."

The woman soldier slammed another magazine into her salvaged AKM rifle- her MTAR-21 had run out of ammo an hour ago. She peered above the wall and fired quick bursts toward the advancing lines of infantry to little avail. Their few remaining machine guns chattered away, and a long missile streaked toward one of the advancing tanks. One brave soldier ran through the gunfire and jammed a grenade into the exhaust grille of an Egyptian tank. The explosion destroyed the tank- and took the soldier with it.

"Look, I know it was your homeland that was attacked, but if we don't get help soon, the Egyptians will roll right over us. I don't see what's so important about this."

The Israeli nodded grimly in response before bringing up her rifle again. "Neither do I, but it's not my place to question. We hold here."

"Bloody ridiculous orders."

**American Convoy**

The Humvee bounced across the rough ground. They were now on the outer edge of Cairo, driving through abandoned, ruined, streets. It seemed almost calm and peaceful if it weren't for the sounds of battle raging only blocks away. Suddenly, the lead vehicle in the convoy exploded.

"AMBUSH!" Sergeant Adams shouted. "Dismount! Move it, Marines!"

Corporal Hernandez grabbed his rifle and followed the Sergeant out of the vehicle. Outside, it was chaos. Egyptian soldiers had appeared out of seemingly nowhere. They had taken cover inside the partially ruined buildings and were hammering the now stationary convoy with assault rifle and machine gun fire. He quickly took cover behind what might have once been a garbage can.

Behind him, an LAV was hit by an RPG and exploded, while its partner continued to rake the buildings with its Bushmaster gun. Time seemed to slow down as Hernandez brought up his weapon and shredded several Egyptians before he dropped back into cover.

"Suppress those positions!" the Captain shouted over the radio. "We have to push forward!"

"Easy for you to say," the Corporal muttered. He quickly swapped out magazines, dropping the old one out and slamming in a new one before slamming the bolt forward. "This isn't fucking Call of Duty, _mano_."

He fired in a seemingly wild, random pattern, but was actually carefully picking targets and squeezing off quick bursts. He shot at one man leaning out a window, not even waiting for him to drop before moving to the next target. The Corporal was careful to stay in cover as much as possible as bullets zipped by.

The convoy continued to inch forward, hosing the Egyptian positions with gunfire. Another RPG streaked toward a Humvee and blew it apart, the last shot fired by the enemy. It took almost a minute for the convoy commander to realize the threat was neutralized. "Cease fire, cease fire!"

"Everybody mount up. Let's move."

As Hernandez stepped back into his vehicle, he couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of dread. The mission was turning to shit and they all knew it.

**Coalition Position**

"Incoming helicopters!" someone shouted, and Zarah cursed under her breath. They were falling apart and the Egyptians were pushing forward into their position. Three of the helicopters- they appeared to be larger transports, not gunships, were advancing straight toward them.

"Do we even have anything to hit them with?" the Brit asked from beside her.

"No!" She took another look at the helicopters, then ducked back down as a burst of machine gun fire slammed into the stone wall behind her. "Does anyone have an identification?"

"Hinds! They're Hinds!" a soldier reported from behind a collection of sandbags.

"Whose Hinds?" Zarah shouted. The Mil Mi-24, known by its NATO reporting name "Hind", was a mainstay of the Russian armed forces- but it was also used by the many others around the world- including the Egyptians. She struggled to pull the binoculars out of their pouch as the battle raged around them.

"They're Russ-" the observer shouted before his brains were blown out by a stray round. At the same time, a trail of smoke and fire blazed up from the ground towards one of the helicopters. When it made contact, there was an explosion and the helicopter spiralled toward the ground. Seconds later, a fireball rose from the impact site.

The other two immediately broke off. One of them went hard to the left. It began climbing before anti-aircraft artillery fire shredded it and it exploded in midair. The other tilted forward and increased speed, careening towards their position and dropping altitude. Just before it passed the building, the pilot jerked back on the collective and the cyclic at the same time, stopping the helicopter and dropping it to the ground.

Eight men hopped out of the aircraft before it leaped into the sky again. They immediately dashed for cover, returning fire on the Egyptian attackers. One of them, a large man cradling an AK-101 rifle, crouched down next to the Brit and the Israeli. He shouted over the din of gunfire. "Lieutenant Alekseyev. Spetznaz."

"Spetznaz? What the bloody hell is the Spetznaz doing here?"

"Who are you?" Alekseyev asked, his question directed at both of them.

"Rav Sa- Sergeant First Class Zarah David," she replied, pausing slightly between her first and last name. "IDF."

"Staff Sergeant George Lloyd, British Army. Guess you're in charge here."

"Only until relief arrives." The Russian paused to fire his rifle at the advancing enemy, causing some of them to head for cover rather than charge straight in. "There's an American convoy on its way."

"Mind telling us what in the name of God is going on?" Lloyd asked.

"I do not know. We were supposed to secure this position and escort some special team, but their helicopter was shot down. I know it is important, if that is what you are asking."

"That's what they've been telling us all day."

**American Convoy**

"Oh, I know it's important," a young Private insisted. He was a scrawny, rather pale guy, smaller than either Adams or Hernandez. The Corporal couldn't remember his name- it was something Spanish-sounding but the guy didn't speak a word. "But what's so important that you've got the better part of a company going after it from one side and half the city of Cairo on the other?"

"It's not your job to think," First Sergeant Adams told him roughly. "Keep your head on tight, we're about to head into the thick of it."

"I think it's a nuke," Hernandez theorized. The others looked at him. "What? It's the only thing that makes sense. We want to get it the hell out of Egyptian hands. The Egyptians want to detonate it to go out in one last glorious jihad."

"Why the fuck wouldn't they tell us about it?" the Private asked, jittery. "If it's important why the fuck don't they tell us why?"

"Maybe they-" he began to reply, but was cut off when the vehicle in front of them exploded.

"Ambush! Dismount!"

"Jesus Christ, again?" the Private said before jumping out of the vehicle- and promptly getting his head sliced off by a piece of shrapnel as the ground exploded three feet away. There was no gunfire, just explosions.

"They're shelling us!" the Captain shouted. "Move out, get to-"

A boom echoed through their radios and he went silent. First Sergeant Adams immediately took command, his place or no they couldn't stay there. "Everyone on me! We're heading to the rendezvous point on foot! Move out!"

Shells continued to pour onto the convoy, destroying their vehicles and shredding their men as they scrambled for their objective and the cover it would hopefully provide. Corporal Hernandez ran by one Marine who was dragging another who was missing his legs. He shouted, "Leave him!"

"But-"

"Then you're dead too! Move!" Though he didn't look back to check, if he did he would have noticed the other man drop his friend and follow at the fastest pace he could manage.

**Coalition Position**

"Hear that?" Lloyd whispered. A moment later, there was a colossal bang and a crater appeared in front of them in a plume of smoke. The Egyptian troops stopped briefly before they began to pull back. "Get to cover! They're shelling us!"

"There is none!" Zarah shouted back.

Alekseyev glanced at the building behind him. It was what they were supposed to be guarding, and it had escaped relatively unscathed. "What about the building?"

"What good will that do against an artillery shell?" Zarah asked frantically.

"I don't know, but it's better than here!" Lloyd told her.

"They told us that we were not to enter the building under any circumstances! It could be filled with poison gas, or radioactivity-"

"What the hell are you doing?" another voice shouted. This one belonged to an American soldier, who was running towards him. "Get to cover! The building!"

"Very specific orders not to go in there!" Zarah shouted back.

"They told us the same damn thing! But unless you've got a better option-" he gestured around to the ruined buildings and enemy forces around them, and to his own men. "We're going in."

The American kicked open the door and entered, gun at the ready. Zarah ducked as a shell hit barely a few metres away, and followed the rest of them in. She carefully trained her captured weapon around, covering the entrance. The inside of the building was dark, as expected, and surprisingly empty, with only a few crates inside.

"The fuck?" Corporal Hernandez uttered. "It's an empty warehouse."

"In here!" Alekseyev shouted. He gestured with one hand toward a hatch embedded in the floor. "Looks like it leads to a basement, a bunker, maybe a tunnel."

Sergeant Adams nodded. He keyed his microphone. "Uh, command, this is Uniform Mike One-One, we've entered the target building. It appears to be empty except for a few unidentifed crates, and there is a hatch in the floor leading to an unknown location."

"What?" a female voice replied. "Uniform Mike One-One, you have explicit orders not to enter the building, over."

"Yeah, well, their shelling-" Midway through the sentence, a sudden blast threw the African-American to the floor. When he regained awareness, he saw that there was a large hole where the wall and part of the roof used to be, and what used to be soldiers and Marines in the general area. He felt himself being dragged, and could barely hear gunfire around him.

"This is Uniform Mike One-One!" Hernandez shouted into his superior's radio. "We are under heavy fire, requesting assistance! We are now moving through the hatch in the floor, we are retreating into the lower area of the building. We have no idea what's down there."

"Uniform Mike One-One, under no circumstances enter the lower area of the building, repeat under no circumstances enter the lower area of the building-"

"You've never been shot at, lady! Send us some fucking reinforcements and tell us what's going on down there!"

There was a sigh at the other end, but Hernandez could not hear it over the din of gunfire. Beside him, an IDF soldier took a bullet through the neck and collapsed to the ground. "Copy that. Be advised, suspected nuclear device in the area. Use caution and do not attempt to tamper with any devices. A specialized team will be there in five."

"Close enough." He barely noticed the artillery had stopped as the Egyptians continued to advance. The Corporal lowered his Sergeant down and let go as soon as he felt someone or something take his weight.

"Go, I cover you!" a soldier with a Russian voice said to him, firing his Kalashnikov at the advancing troops. He needed no second bidding, climbing through the opening and down the cold metal ladder. There was an ear-curdling scream from above as the Russian was hit, followed by a stream of cursing and a weak, "Go on, close hatch!"

At that point, Julio stalled, and it almost cost him his life. He wanted to go up there, grab the Russian man, and drag him back in. Rescuing him was the right thing to do, he knew that in his heart. But his brain told him that it was stupid and it would get him killed.

"Take defensive positions! Corporal, shut that hatch!" The high-pitched but strong voice of the Israeli woman brought him out of his trance. He pulled the heavy piece of metal down and turned the locking lever. It would buy them some time.

After dropping into the basement area, he took a quick moment to observe his surroundings. The room was fairly small, maybe about the size of a single-car garage. Strangely, it seemed to be built from old, grey stone, although he could barely tell since the only light came from their own flashlights.

What shocked him the most was how few of them were left. Maybe a dozen, a mix of US Marines, IDF, and a Spetznaz were standing in the room.

"This position isn't defensible," the Sergeant announced, struggling to his feet.

"I know," announced the Israeli woman from a corner of the room. She pointed her flashlight down what appeared to be a narrow stone tunnel. "There appears to be a way out, or somewhere at least."

"Or it could be a dead end," Hernandez growled, nonetheless moving to the edge of the room and peering down the tunnel.

They could hear shouting from above, though none of them could make out the words. "Make it quick."

"Lieutenant?" Zarah asked the Russian.

"Go, we will cover you." He nodded. "Defensive positions, everyone. Best you can."

First Sergeant Adams limped over to the corner. He turned to the Israeli. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss, miss-"

"Zarah David. Sergeant First Class."

"David." He pronounced it 'da-veed'. "Like NCIS. Damn, shit just gets weirder. Lead the way."

"Wait!" another female voice shouted as they stooped to enter the tunnel. "I should come with you."

He glanced the the new arrival. "You a Marine?"

"No, CF," she said, slightly embarassed.

"Shit, sorry. Can't tell the difference between CADPAT and MARPAT in this light." He waved her into the tunnel and they began heading deeper into the... whatever it was.

"I'm an EOD tech, they sent me in to deal with IEDs," the woman explained. "I know a nuke isn't an IED but, well, better than nothing."

"This is unusual," Zarah said from up ahead. Behind them, gunfire began to echo through the structure. She shouted, "Move quickly, we found something."

Two Americans, a Canadian, a Brit and an Israeli moved quickly down the tunnel. It wasn't far to the end, and they emerged into a larger, very strangely furnished chamber. The walls were smooth and grey, made of some type of metal or plastic. Casting their flashlights around revealed several angular boxes jutting out of the ground, covered with what appeared to be glass on top. A round pedestal of a similar appearance sat in the centre of the room.

"What is this, some Pharaoh's tomb?" Hernandez asked. His hand brushed against the glass surface of one of the boxes, and the glass suddenly lit up with strange symbols, with more projected in front of the wall above. Hidden lights came on, bathing the room in cold white light.

"Not unless he came from another planet," the Canadian woman muttered.

"You watch too much TV," he dismissed in response.

"Well, fuck me," Jason breathed. Behind them, the gunfire began to die down in intensity. "Maybe it's some kind of top secret military installation."

"I never thought I'd see anything even remotely like this," the Brit remarked.

"I don't think we have time to find out," Zarah snapped, crouching behind the central pedestal. "Take defensive positions."

"I think there's a door," the EOD tech told them as she crouched behind one of the control consoles. "We just need to close it."

They each sneaked a glance at the Corporal, who was behind the pedestal with the female Sergeant. He replied. "What? Don't look at me. Just because I turned on the light by accident doesn't mean I know Arab."

"First, it's Arabic, and second, this isn't in Arabic," Zarah corrected harshly, still aiming her weapon at the entrance.

Bringing his own weapon up, Julio put his hand on the top of the central pedestal. It clicked down slightly, and what seemed to be a full hologram appeared over top of it. It was of a woman in a white dress, with flowing brown hair and a severe expression. She told them cryptically- and surprisingly in clean English- "This is a sanctuary, where one may find the key to great power. Wield it carefully, or the consequences will go beyond your very reality."

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Sergeant Lloyd shouted.

"Okay, this is some seriously scary shit. Let's get out of-"

His thoughts were interrupted by a rapid-fire burst of Arabic, followed by a rapid-fire burst of bullets that impacted the centre pedestal. They immediately returned fire, tearing apart the Egyptians stuck in the tight passageway. But there were five of them, and they were rapidly running out of ammo.

A grenade bounced down the tunnel, and Staff Sergeant George Lloyd jumped on it, bringing the total down to four. His actions resulted in the rest of them receiving a splattering of gore rather than deadly shrapnel. Someone called his name, but there was no time to grieve.

"Two magazines left!" Sergeant Adams shouted. "Unless you close that door or find us a way out of here, we're dead."

"Well, sir, we could hope for a miracle," the Canadian deadpanned. "At this point it wouldn't be too far out here."

"Corporal, get that door closed!" Zarah shouted at the man next to her.

"How? Do I just press random buttons?"

"At least you'd be doing something!" the female explosives expert shouted back. She grabbed the late Sergeant's blood-covered L85 and raised it to her shoulder, firing into the entry tunnel. "Why the hell not!"

That was exactly what he did. Handing off his M16A4 to Zarah, whose captured AK was now empty, he began randomly hitting the lit-up top surface of the pedestal. He felt several clicks, so it was obviously a control system that was doing something, but nothing happened. He pounded it in frustration as a bullet nearly took his fingers off.

Suddenly, a high-pitched whine began to fill the room. They tried to shut it out and keep fighting, but it grew stronger and stronger until both sides were debilitated. The Corporal collapsed to the floor, covering his ears. He thought he saw a flash of bright light before he passed out.

_What appears to be an explosion of epic proportions has rocked the city of Cairo. Though details remain slim at this time, the epicentre of the explosion appears to be a hotly contested area, and rumours indicate that both sides were fighting over a nuclear device. Those rumours appear to be confirmed, as only a nuclear weapon could create an explosion of this magnitude. Casualties are heavy on both sides, with entire divisions of the US Army, USMC, and IDF wiped out. The explosion, estimated to be at least twice the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, has decimated the city, and deadly radioactivity continues to rain down on the remains. Current death tolls are estimated at one million at the minimum. We will continue to report on this story as it develops._

* * *

No, this isn't in the wrong category. In the next chapter, our heroes will wake up in a not-so-unfamiliar place, at a not-so-unfamiliar time. Also, don't try looking up the quote. I couldn't find one that I liked, so I made one up.


	2. Chapter 1 - Out of Place

It should be a bit more clear what's going on now. In this chapter, our heroes arrive in the Mass Effect universe. I will admit that this chapter ends with a few unintentional cliffhangers. This chapter kept getting longer and longer, and I decided to just cut it off.

**Chapter 1 - Out of Place  
**

**Unknown Date  
Unknown Location  
Corporal Julio Hernandez, USMC**

"Hey, wake up!" someone shouted at me. Almost by instinct, from the training the Corps gave me, I leapt into action. My eyes snapped open and I did my best to jump to my feet, although my legs were heavy and it was more a stumble. I reach for my gun, raising it to my shoulder, though much slower than I would have liked.

"_Jesuchristo_," I breathed, lapsing into my semi-native Spanish. Maybe a few feet away from me, holding a heavy pistol in his hand, was a turian. A turian. From Mass Effect. Beside him stood a pair of humans with assault rifles pointed at me, though one was female and could have been an asari. They all wore hardsuits with what some kind of logo or insignia on their shoulders. It looked like wings or a bird, though I couldn't tell in the poor, orange-tinted lighting. An angel.

The voice confirmed it. I couldn't understand the words- not without the translators everyone had. The turian- none other than Archangel, said something to the others. I had no idea what it was, of course, it could have been a command to execute me or a joke about the weirdly dressed human.

I guess it was a command to the others, who nodded, turned, and left. Garrus said something else, this time I think to me. I could only guess what it was. Slowly, I lowered my gun. "I'm sorry, I don't have a translator."

Of course at that point my mind was going a mile a minute. Mass Effect. I was in Mass Effect. I forced the wild speculation out of my mind. There was a potentially hostile turian in front of me, and by the looks of it I was on Omega, one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy.

Garrus repeated what he had said and gestured. _I believe he is asking you to follow._

What the fuck was that? It sure as hell wasn't my own thoughts.

_I shall explain at a later time. For the moment, simply follow the one you call Garrus._

I tried not to think of the voices in my head as Garrus turned and spoke to me. But really, my mind was reeling. Some kind of Prothean artifact? Was that what brought me here? Where were the rest of us? Why here? Why now?

_I am afraid I do not have the answers you are looking for. All will be revealed in time._

Okay, that was getting very, very creepy. I could handle being shot at by Middle Eastern insurgents, but following a turian through the streets of Omega with a voice in my head... yeah, we didn't learn this in Basic.

_I apologize. Suspending..._

I continued to follow Garrus, weaving through the dirty streets of Omega. I had no idea what time it was- the place was always dark, and there were other explanations for the lack of people on the streets, mainly that Omega was one gigantic shithole.

"Hey, uh, mind if I ask where we're going?" I asked the turian. He barked an answer which I couldn't understand. "Uh, okay, I think?"

I took stock of my surroundings as Garrus stopped in front of a building. Like the buildings around it, the building was nondescript brown-grey, with its walls patched and exposed wiring. The ceiling above us appeared to be rocky, but it was pretty high up, with towers rising toward it. The road beneath my boots was filthy, covered in dirt and shit and puke and God knows what. And the smell, it was worse than Iraq.

Garrus rapped his fist against the door- it was an odd motion for a turian. I could only surmise the electronic doorbell was broken. A human woman, with short brown hair and matching eyes, maybe twenty-something, maybe thirty-something, maybe older, age is far less obvious in the future. He said something to her, and she replied, "Are you sure this is a good idea? You know, if he's Eclipse or Blue Suns-"

He cut her off with a stream of the odd turian language that I didn't pretend to understand. She nodded, folded her arms and replied. "Something different, just a feeling. Alright, fine. He can stay."

The woman turned to me. "Come in. You can stay with me for now. It's much safer here."

"And you are?" I asked, following her into the house. The inside was a mess, with what looked like a couch facing some kind of futuristic TV, some kind of kitchen behind it, a pair of doors that might lead to bedrooms and bathrooms, and piles of unidentifiable junk strewn everywhere.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Nalah. My husband on Archangel's squad-"

"That was Archangel?" I feigned. I immediately realized that actually made things worse.

"Didn't you notice the wings?"

"Yeah, uh, I didn't know what they were."

"You know it's been plastered all over Omega."

Well, that was confirmation at least. "I just got here." Which wasn't a lie, not really.

I paused and asked seriously. "Nalah, Gar- Archangel mentioned he noticed something special about me. What was it?"

"A feeling." It was pretty sudden when she realized what I was wearing and what I was carrying. BDUs a century and a half old and a gun to match. She arched an eyebrow. "Didyou just come here of a Persian War enactment?"

"Would you believe it if I told you that I just came from it for real?" I didn't know if it was the same war, but it must have been pretty close, around the same time at least. "Shit, do you think he wants to recruit me?"

"Well, he did recruit my husband on gut feeling alone. And Ripper is absolutely insane, so you would be in fine company. But for all I know he plans to come back and torture you to death. All I'm supposed to do is keep you here, one way or another." I noticed for the first time there was a pistol loosely grasped in her hand.

Oh shit. Recruitment. The squad. I grasped Nalah's shoulders, causing her to flinch. "What's the date?"

"Unified or Galactic?" She was shocked by my intensity, I could tell. I must have looked crazy.

"Human standard, January, March, February-"

"January. January tenth, twentyoneeightyfive."

"Where's he going?"

"I'm not-"

"Nalah, this is important. His life is at stake." Technically, it was the life of his squad, but close enough.

"I should trust you why?"

"Because Garrus did?"

"His name, how do you know?"

"I just know things," I dodged, becoming increasingly desperate. "Your husband's life could be at stake, too. Where did he go?"

I must have hit a nerve or something, because she sighed and replied. "Fuck it. I'm enough of staying while my hus has all the fun. I don't know you, I can't trust you. I'm going with." Nalah disappeared into one of the rooms, and I was left waiting for an agonizing minute. If my suspicions were correct, his squad was about to die. Do I go after Garrus and warn him, or do I go straight to the squad. Fuck, what was taking-

"I'm ready." The woman emerged wearing a mottled grey combat hardsuit, complete with helmet. Only her eyes were visible. I must admit she looked fairly attractive in it- an unfortunate side effect of not seeing any ass for months at a time. Damn it, what about my squad, the war, home? Was I stuck here?

Fuck. _Get it together, mano_. Focus on the mission. I attempt to defuse- I don't know, myself, maybe- with humour. "That may go down as the fastest change ever."

"You learn things on Omega." She pulled out a case from below what looked like a futuristic version of a cupboard and opened it. Inside was an assault rifle, which she took, and a pistol, which she handed to me. "That antique isn't going do to you anything good. Ever used a one like this before?"

"Yeah, I think so," I semi-lie. I'd seen them in-game, and I've used pistols before. Piece of cake, right?

As she hurried out the door, I asked as an afterthought, "You just keep guns and armour around without expecting to use them?"

She turned back, a hard look in her eyes. "This is Omega. Fully I expect to use them."

"Where are we going?" I asked as we threaded our way down the dark streets of Omega.

"Kenzo district," she replied. "As I know, it's where he went. I don't know why, I didn't ask why."

"And when we get there?" God damn it, we were going the wrong way! In hindsight, I should have said it was everyone else in danger, not Garrus. I stopped, and Nalah nearly walked into me.

"Look, when I said Archangel was in danger? I lied a little. It's not Archangel that's the problem. It's everyone else."

A twitch. "You are saying what?"

The way she said it was strange, but the tone got everything across. I quickly replied. "Look, I know that Archangel was called away. I also know that some time from now, while he's tied up with the Blood Pack, the Blue Suns are going to move in and take everyone out."

"How do you know this? Some guy shows up looking like he came out of the last century, funny accent, don't even know his name, and I'm supposed to trust this, really?"

I didn't think I had that much of an accent. "I have more connections than you think."

She considered it for a moment, I think- it's really hard to tell through the helmet. She asked, "Connections?" but turned around and started walking briskly the other way.

I followed, realizing two things about the Modular Tactical Vest I was wearing. First, despite all the training and conditioning, nothing changed the fact that it was annoyingly heavy. Second, it would be about as useful as a screen door on a submarine if someone started shooting. I realized then that I probably should have asked for clothes.

"What?" Nalah asked, but it seemed like she was saying something else, more like a "So?" or "Well?". Expecting an answer. That was odd.

_No. I estimate approximately one to two centuries of linguistic drift. Although the basic structure of the language remains constant, idioms and common usage will change._

Thank you, creepy voice in my head. It hit me once again what a mess I was in. Unimaginably far from home, with no idea what was doing., and suffering from some kind of insanity. And I had absolutely no idea where I was going to go after this. Just fucking great, eh?

Focus on the mission at hand. Give her an answer. "I'd rather not talk about it now."

"Okay, fine. But I expect infos. They expect infos."

We continued silently, and we went past an alley when I thought I saw something familiar. I tried to tug on Nalah's sleeve, which didn't work because it was firmly attached. I should have known that. I call to her, "Wait up."

"Be fast." She stood outside the alley when I went inside and checked, using the flashlight in my vest. Up a bit closer, I could identify what I saw. It was a human, dressed in the same MARPAT I had. I gasped, then rushed into action.

**First Sergeant Jason Adams, USMC**

"Get up Sarge! We gotta save Archangel's squad!"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" It was not the worst wake-up call I've had, but it was pretty damn bad. I opened my eyes and saw Corporal Hernandez extending a hand towards me. I realized I must be on the ground. My mind immediately shifted into business mode and I asked, "Corporal, sitrep?"

"Long story short, we're not in Egypt any more." It was dark, and the light was a harsh orange, but I could see that Hernandez was wound-up as fuck. He talked real fast, and I had to listen hard to understand what the hell he was saying. "I'll explain it on the way. Please, Sergeant, you gotta trust me on this."

It was a pleading look in his eyes, all right. I got the impression that this was important- whatever this was. But I still had no fucking idea what was going on, so I grabbed him by the shoulder and asked. "You said we're not in Egypt any more. Where the fuck are we?"

"See for yourself," We exited the darkness of the alley, and in front of me Hernandez muttered something about always being in alleys.

The first thing that caught my attention was the woman. She was dressed in some kinda armour, looked like something out of a sci-fi. It was form-fitting, and did a good job of showing off her assets. She was wearing a full helmet, and I could only see her hazel eyes. An assault rifle hung in a loose grip. The Corporal introduced us. "Sergeant Adams, Nalah Butler."

"It's a pleasure, ma'am." I tipped my head, and she raised an eyebrow at the gesture. I had what might be considered an old-fashioned attitude toward women. I thought they were to be respected, but I also thought they shouldn't be fighting. Call it instinct, call it chauvinism, call it whatever. In Egypt, then, and now, it was the last thing on my mind.

I looked around. The place was dark and dirty, with strange orange-tinted light flooding everywhere. We were on a fairly empty road, lined haphazardly with decaying buildings. Above us, things seemed to be floating in the sky, which seemed to be lower than it should be. Hernandez and Nalah began walking at a fair pace, and I continued to examine my surroundings as we went. It looked fairly peaceful, but it wasn't a good part of town. If someone started shooting at us, we'd be in for a damn hard time.

A woman in a one-piece jumpsuit, coloured an orange or a brown, walked by, not making eye contact, but looking around cautiously. I noticed as she- it- passed that the- woman?- had blue skin and some kind of folds or tentacles for hair. Like a goddamn freak show. I ask, "Hernandez, exactly how fucking far away from Egypt are we? And how in the name of God did we get here?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember we were fighting in Egypt, relieving some defensive position, and I was knocked out," I replied. No, there was more to it than that. Someone dragged me, then I woke up again, stumbled down a path, more shooting- some kind of bright glow, an explosion? "Jesus Christ, are we dead?"

"No, I think this is aliens, not ghosts." What was that supposed to mean? Did we chance upon a device made by some ancient astronauts?

"So exactly where the fuck are we?" I saw a guy with four eyes pass by. Not a guy with glasses, but a guy with four eyes.

"Omega. A space station half a galaxy away from Earth. The year is 2185. We're not alone in the universe, far from it."

"So we're in the future?" Holy God, what happened? It was pretty damn hard to keep your thoughts straight and professional when confronted with something like that. I looked at Hernandez again, and he was serious. Deadly serious.

"Not just any future. You ever play Mass Effect?"

I had heard some guys talking about it, but I had no idea what it was. "No, Corporal, I have not."

"It's a video game, sci-fi, and it's got a really amazing world. That's where we are, in some kinda reality that's identical to Mass Effect."

"I don't fucking believe it."

"Neither do I, Sergeant, neither do I."

It was Nalah that broke us out of that locked-up state of thought. "Look, if is this really important as you say, we should better get moving with hasty."

"Of course, ma'am. Lead the way."

**Rav Samal Zarah David, IDF**

Blackness. There was light, and then blackness. Or at least is seemed so, maybe it is a perception thing. It was not a gradual transition; it seemed as if I was in one place one moment and another the next. I had a massive headache and was very sore.

"Look, if she hard and dead, I'm bored and I have a grenade. If she alive, I'm bored and I've got a rich." My eyes snapped open and I instantly reached for the weapon still strapped across my chest. I spent the next few precious seconds evaluating the situation. I was in an alley of some sort, a dead end and I had my back to the wall. There were three men in front of me, if you could call them that. One was clearly human, clad in some kind of one-piece jumpsuit and loosely cradling a very large handgun. The other two were far, far stranger.

The one to the left looked like a man wearing the same one-piece jumpsuit, up to the neck. Above that, he was clearly some kind of monster or alien. His face was a yellowish colour, covered in ridges, the skin was not scaly, but smooth. His nose was flat, with several openings. But the most disturbing thing was his four eyes, each one as black as night. He also had a very large pistol, but it was still attached somehow to his leg.

I could not tell what the other one looked like exactly, only that it was not human. That one was covered completely in a suit of blue and white armour. It was oddly proportioned, with a bulging chest and a very narrow waist. It was also quite large, taller than the other two and wider as well. I didn't get a good look, but thought it had three fingers. Its face was covered by a helmet with a nearly opaque visor- I was thankful for that. I did not want to see its face.

The four-eyed alien said something to the others in a language I could not understand, and the human laughed. He turned back to me and took a step forward. I raised my weapon.

He raised his hands in mock surrender and took another few steps, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. All we want is a little enjoyment. Not looking for any problems. So how about it, you and me?"

Four-eye said something else and the human replied, "For the sake of fuck, man, there's three of us and uno of her. And look at that shooter. It a fucking toy."

He tossed the alien his pistol, which he awkwardly caught, and continued toward me, fumbling with his jumpsuit. Fear, rage, anger coursing through my veins, I flicked off the safety and pulled the trigger.

The narrow alley amplified the report of the weapon. Bullets ripped through the man, first his abdomen, then his chest, then one through his neck. He collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. I quickly switched targets and shot the four-eyed alien, two bursts through the chest. He dropped just like a human.

At that point, the tall alien was advancing toward me and reached behind his back for something, probably a weapon. I fired the rest of my magazine into him, but it had little effect, the rounds either bouncing off or flattening against his armour. I fumbled with my weapon, changing out the magazine, and fired again, to the same effect.

He charged me and I ducked below him. I do not know exactly what I was thinking, but I figured that maybe the gun sitting on the ground a metre away would have some effect. I dove under the alien as he swung his rifle- it was definitely a rifle- at where I was a moment earlier. From my position on the ground I raised the weapon, prayed it did not have some kind of safety I needed to disengage, and fired.

The first round went wide, and the large pistol jumped back in my hands. I quickly adjusted my aim and fired. The second round went through the alien's shoulder- if you could call it that. It screeched in pain, and I did not hesitate to fire again, and again. The alien crumpled to the ground, and I shot it twice in the helmeted head. Blue blood flowed out from beneath it.

I jammed the gun into my vest and picked up what looked like an assault rifle. Considering what was carrying it, the fit in the hand was not bad. Experimentally, I depressed the the trigger, and the rifle bucked and put a hole in the ground.

I looked up. The sky seemed unnaturally low, and it was a strange red colour. The buildings were haphazardly built, an ugly grey-brown. In fact, the whole place seemed brown. I knew not where I was, but I did realize that it was not Israel, nor was it Egypt, nor was it anywhere I knew of.

I stumbled out of the alley in a stupor. Where was I? What was going on?

**Lieutenant Vladimir Alekseyev, Spetznaz**

"Professor Solus, I think he's waking up."

Pain. That was first thing that went through my mind. I was in a lot of pain, as if my body had been set aflame. Some time later, I have no idea how long, it faded away and left me numb. I could barely feel anything. I slowly opened my eyes, which took more effort than I thought it would.

It was blurry, but I could see I was in some kind of hospital or clinic. It was not very nice place, bringing to mind unhappy memories of growing up under Soviet rule. Not clean and white like a Western hospital, no, this place was dark, dirty, and smelled of death and disease. The place was crowded with beds, maybe overcrowded. I looked down, and as my eyes began to focus I could tell I was on some kind of stretcher or bed, and covered by a thin blanket. There was an intravenous in my left arm.

What happened next is difficult to describe. An alien walked up to me. He- or she, perhaps- resembled an alien from American popular culture. He was slim, not very tall but very lithe and that made him appear taller than he was. He wore something between a lab coat and combat armour- I had no idea what it was, other than that it looked like something from science fiction.

My eyes immediately went to his face. Almost triangular. No hair, scaly skin, pale orange. Large, deep black eyes. Nostrils, tiny, between the eyes. Small, thin lips. Two horns on top, one shorter than the other. And scars. His face was covered in scars and wrinkles. Though I had never seen this kind of alien before, I could tell he was experienced. He had seen battles, maybe some literal, maybe some figurative. He spoke something completely unintelligible to me.

I am a soldier, and it is part of my training to not panic. But at this point, I was very disconcerted. My eyes glanced around frantically, searching for a weapon, evaluating the threat. There was a scalpel in a tray behind me, I took note of it. I also took note of what looked like a pistol strapped to the alien's leg. If he got closer, maybe.

"He doesn't has a translator." I looked to the source of the voice, the same voice that had announced my awakening. He was human, wearing some kind of coat and pants, with gloves attached directly to the sleeves. It is hard to describe. He did not look like a fighter the same way as the alien, no, he was far more benign. He reached down at me.

In an instant, I grabbed for the scalpel, locked the man with one hand around his neck and pushed the knife against his throat. The alien immediately drew his gun, and several of the other patients looked at me with varying degrees of shock.

I was not sure what I wanted to ask, where to go from then. So I asked the most basic of questions, first in Russian, then in English. "What is happening? Where am I? Who are you?"

"Help!" the man in my arms screamed. The alien, still pointing his gun, shook his head and once again uttering an unintelligible stream of gibberish. The man added, "See, if you let me go, we can chat this out, okay?"

I suppose I simply wanted answers, then and now. I did not release him, and asked again, "Where am I?"

"You're in Omega, Mordin Solus' clinic!" he told me frantically. I climbed out of the bed, not releasing him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do not you know how you got here?"

"No!"

"Well, that makes you and me both," one of the patients, who looked like a woman, but _blue_, said with a heavy accent.

I turned to her- him, it, whatever- and shouted, "Shut up!"

At that point it was clear to everyone, I think, that I was wound up, full of adrenaline, maybe still on the effects of whatever drugs they had given me. I was lost, confused. Where is Omega? Who is Mordin Solus? How did I get here? What were the aliens?

Call it instinct, call it training, call it anger, I wished to escape. I searched for an exit. There was one open archway, leading out into a hallway. I slowly backpedalled away toward it, then after what seemed like a very long time, made it through.

I pushed the man down the hallway in front of me, past several doctors or nurses or scientists or whatever they were, and very sick patients. There was a reception area at the end, and in the middle was a woman pointing a gun at me.

"Just drop it. Put him down." She was wearing some kind of armour, I suppose it was. It covered her entire body, though she was not wearing any helmet. It was a dirty brown colour, and appeared to be made up of thin plates on a fabric backing. And the gun she was pointing at me, was probably the largest handgun I have ever seen. Though I do confess I have not seen some of the larger Western designs such as the Desert Eagle or the forty-four magnum as used by movie star Dirty Harold.

"You first!" I shouted back. If I threw the knife, maybe I could hit her in the throat, take her gun, shoot my way out. It was about then that I realized something very important. Where would I go? I had no money, almost no clothes, no identification, no idea where I was. As I composed my thoughts, several more guards with assault rifles stormed in through the entrance doors. Behind me was the alien, gun raised, who shook his head and made some kind of clicking sound.

It was clear at this point I was surrounded, and that some of them may take the shot even with a hostage. I heard a clanking sound, with some whirring, perhaps a piece of large machinery. I looked out the entrance to the source of the sound.

"Fuck your mother."


	3. Chapter 2 - Lost

A very short chapter this time. I didn't see any other way to keep the nice dramatic breaks, and I wanted to get this pushed out so you know I'm still writing this. In the future, would you prefer more shorter chapters or less longer chapters?

**Chapter 2: Lost**

**Lieutenant Vladimir Alekseyev, Spetznaz**

"For the second time, I recommend immediate release of the hostage."

The mech clanked dangerously. It was not tall, but it was broad, and it had... holographic eyes on a blocky head. The thing was dangerous, I could tell. I did not know what kind of weapon was exposed on its arms, but I understood that it would tear me to pieces.

I allowed the weapon in my hand to clatter to the ground, and released the man from around my arm. The most I could muster was a weak and not committed "Sorry."

Not a moment after I did so, I felt something jab into the side of my neck, and fell unconscious.

* * *

**Rav Samal Zarah David, IDF**

The place was dirty, stacked high with pre-fabricated buildings in the same dirt colour. The sky is red, the buildings go up- I have said that already. That was not the shock.

The shock was the aliens. The four-eyed ones, the big bird-reptile-things, they were everywhere. I saw a blue woman with no hair. I saw what looked more like a lumbering tank than a person. I saw what appeared to be a woman, but with a covered face, three toes and fingers. This was a busy area of a large city, I could tell. They were everywhere, moving like an alien wave.

I found myself pushed- not literally, but I simply drifted with the crowd. Soon, however, I found that there was no particular direction to it. It was simply a sea of people going about their daily lives.

I wandered aimlessly, trying to decide what to do, where to go. There were a few odd looks that I ignored. Inside me, there was this feeling of panic. Where was this place? What would I do? Where would I go? What had happened? What was going on? Was it divine intervention? A trick? Was I going mad?

I needed to think, so I pushed those thoughts aside as the best I could. I kept wandering, looking for some hint to what to do next. I was lost. I saw a few things- words, messages- that kept reoccurring- Omega, Afterlife, Aria. I knew what the first two meant, or could mean, and hoped it could not be true, feeling a little strange. Was this really the place we had been promised? Or was it just a twisted form of advertising, or a symbolism in my mind?

Eventually, I found Afterlife, and if that was what this really was, then this is more symbolic than I think. But I do not think so. The club, or bar, or night-club, or whatever it is called, was the centre of this place, I think it's fair to say. There are long lines of people, a few very important getting in, and many guards armed with strange weapons, clothed in armour like the alien I had killed. Dancing flames illuminated large signs that scrolled through symbols, maybe some alien language. The English word was Afterlife.

I found myself strangely drawn to this place. The emotional, irrational part of my mind said this was a spiritual experience, a metaphor, a symbol, that I was drawn to it by the will of God or some supernatural force. My larger logical brain said that it is a successful club, it is designed to draw people in. Either way, I found myself in a line, and eventually- perhaps a few minutes later, they were quick to turn unwanted guests away- at the front.

The guard looked at me and laughed. "Don't think we ordered that kind of entertainment tonight, honey."

Another said something, he was one of the four eyes that I could not understand, but I got the impression he was covering his donkey.

Suppressing a chuckle, the first guard said into some kind of hidden radio, "Yeah, Grizz, uh, we're seeing some lady in... looks like twentieth, twenty-first military outfit."

There was a pause as Grizz, or whoever he answered to, considered the message. Finally, there was a response, though of course I could not hear it.

"What? Really? Okay." The first guard recoiled in surprise- I think that's what it was. He moved aside. "The boss wants to see you. Don't keep her waiting."

I shrugged, mind reeling, and stepped inside.

* * *

**Corporal Julio Hernandez, USMC**

We arrived in time to watch the whole thing go down.

Archangel's base was one of those shitty little buildings that lined the streets of Omega- probably a house or a small business once upon a time. I was expecting, well, I was expecting a base, you know? Or at least a penthouse suite. But nope, shitty little building surrounded by shitty little buildings.

That actually made more sense. Hiding in plain sight.

I knew we were too late before we even got there. I saw a pair of Blue Suns mercs running down the street, joining another bigger group. They glared at us, but kept going. The attack- if it hadn't already begun- was about to begin.

"Damn it, maybe you right," Nalah said, eyeing the mercs. "This way."

She lead us into an apartment building, and up a ridiculously long set of stairs. It must have been fifteen or sixteen stories, tops, but damn, it felt like a lot more.

Knowing the alternative, I'd take the stairs every time.

We went to the edge of the roof, which gave us a good overview of the area. The Archangel hideout, a prefab that would have been condemned anywhere else, was slightly larger than the ones around it. But that's not how we ID'ed it.

The Blue Suns were converging on its location. There were a few shots fired from inside- not much of a muzzle flash, and a strange noise, but you could see the mercs drop- and a torrent of fire from the mercs. While they poured bullets or slugs or pellets or whatever into the building, a gunship swept down and raked it with its heavy cannon... thing.

These old prefabs aren't very tough. The constant gunfire shreds the building, parts of it being blasted outwards or collapsing in. Whatever cover the people inside had, they wouldn't have it for much longer. To top it off, the place was beginning to burn. Not that it mattered much.

Nalah looks at me, desperately. I shake my head.

This was nothing but covering fire for the main event. I noticed a few of them get close to the building, real close, close enough to kiss it close. I don't realize what they're doing until the Suns start retreating. It's a methodical retreat- they just keep pouring fire in and pull back. There isn't much left of the hut already by this point, but I guess they're trying to prove something.

It's hard to describe the explosion as anything but a really fucking big explosion. I felt the concussion- the _wham_ hit me a split second after the building disappeared into a cloud of deadly shrapnel.

The Sergeant just sits down, shakes his head, and drinks like nothing happened, the cold motherfucker. As Nalah tosses her helmet away and slumps down, bursting into tears, I notice another figure behind me.

I turned to Garrus, who seemed to be watching everything, taking it in stride, keeping his cool. But even in turian eyes, mano, I could see it in his eyes. I've seen that look before. A mixture of unexplainable loss and pure rage.

If I hadn't played the games, if I hadn't known already, well, now I know. He was going to get his revenge or die trying.

He gave us a quick nod, and then he was gone.

I cross myself and whisper a quick prayer for the souls we just watched die, and try to figure out what the hell I'm going to do.


End file.
